WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Zoe

Does sunshine on a rainy day make your soul trip, trip away? Well it did for Zoe in the 1990’s and probably still does!

London born Zoe Pollock (born 1969) began her career auditioning for the group Brilliant, lead by producer Martin Glover aka ‘Youth’, who produced such 90’s classics as Blue Pearl’s “Naked In The Rain” and Bananarama‘s “Preacher Man”. She released her debut single “Sunshine On A Rainy Day” in the Autumn of 1990 but it stopped just short of the top 40 at No.53 in the UK.

The track was a mellow, late Summer tune that perhaps was released too late in the day for it to make any impact on the singles chart at the time. Undettered, Zoe (who was now dating ‘Youth’) performed backing vocals on Bananarama’s 1991 album “Pop Life” that included the top twenty hit “Preacher Man”! Once this had been completed and released, She began writing and recording her debut album “Scarlet Red And Blue” but prior to it’s release, ‘Youth’ remixed “Sunshine” into a more funky dance track and upon its re-release in the Summer of 1991 it reached No.4 in the UK as well as charting across Europe and reaching No.1 in Zimbabwe!

The song has been covered numerous times, most notably by Australian singer Christine Anu in 2000 who took it to No.26 down under (Zoe’s version could only make No.147), Spice Girl Emma Bunton in 2001 and strangely by supermodel Naomi Campbell for her short-lived music career in 1994. Zoe released her second single “Lightning” in October 1991 which made No.37 in the UK. The album could only make it as far as No.67 on the UK album chart.

A third single “Holy Days” was released early in 1992 but this stalled at No.72. Zoe returned in 1996 with her second album “Hammer”, styled on American rock, both the title track and the album failed to make the chart anywhere and Zoe ‘retired’ from music to become a sculptor and potter as well as travelling around the world (presumably witnessing much sunshine on rainy days?!).

She would return in 2008 forming the musical partnership Mama with singer Sarah McQuaid. The pair released an album “Crow Coyote Buffalo” later that year which also includes a new folk recording of “Sunshine On A Rainy Day”. Nothing like reinventing your best known and biggest hit is there?! As far as we know, Zoe lives in Cornwall with her two children.